Washington Elementary School

I have 2 children who have attended Washington since they were Kindergartners. It is a wonderful school with outstanding, engaged teachers. The teachers really care about the students. Washington also offers a great arts program (drama, orchestra, band, art and dance) as well as super academics. The elective program allows students to take classes that cover the core curriculum, but in a very engaging way that really sparks students' creativity. My children's experience at Washington has given them a great start and our family couldn't be more pleased/
—Submitted by a parent

When my child was at Washington in the 4th grade, my husband and I was concerned about their academics. Mind you that my child was and still is AG Math and above average in every subject. When my we started to question the teacher, the teacher handled the situation very unprofessionally. The teacher became very angry at us which we could not understand. Any good parent would hopefully be concerned about their child and have questions for the teacher. At the end of the 4th grade year my child showed no growth in reading and very little in math. When my husband and I met with the administrators about this, they shifted the blame to my child. Well how about when my child's took the EOG they end of their 5th grade they showed tremendous growth in reading which shows me that it wasn't him. My child is currently in 6th grade, AG Math and maintaining a B or above average in every class. One thing I don't like about Washington is that the teachers are not held accountable. It's not always the child!!!
—Submitted by a parent

This is our 4th year at Washington, and we are highly satisfied with most of our experiences here. Academic challenge is individualized very well, and kids are assessed and shifted as their need for challenge changes. Core instruction is generally terrific, and the level of demand seems to shoot up in third grade. Electives a mostly great - building inventions, analyzing comedy, using math to build a business, modern art on the computer - but what we like the most is the way most teachers and the administration are responsive to families and respect parents' role in their kids' education. While not every request has been granted, we have gotten just what we needed every time it was truly inportant. Plus, we like having so many male teachers!
—Submitted by a parent

We have been at Washington for the last 4 years. In the beginning I was one of the biggest advocates for the school in the community, as our first two years were wonderful -- the teachers were caring, engaging and my children completely enjoyed going to school. Unfortunately the last two school years have been a different story. We found most of the second and third grade teachers to be unprofessional at best (spelling/grammatical/punctuation errors are common in communication). All volunteer opportunities and PTA board meetings are during the morning when a majority of parents work. The administration is lackluster and uninterested in truly addressing parental concerns with regards to the staff. Luckily this is our last year at the school.
—Submitted by a parent

My son has been attending Washington for a few years now and we have been nothing but happy! He loves it here! The administration at this school is AMAZING!! I cannot say enough good things about this wonderful school!!
—Submitted by a parent

Disapointed with one Teacher. Ready to start this New School Yr. is all I will say.
—Submitted by a parent

Washington is a great school and has a great elective program including music (orchestra, guitar and piano), band and drama classes. The school has also a great infrastructure for your child, computer lab, gym, basketball court, tracks, and much more. The drama classes that they offer here as electives are awesome and the students all have a great time with those classes. For more instructional classes, they have a broad number of sciences, math and so many more elective classes. Overall, the teachers and principal are very talented people.
—Submitted by a parent

Our three children have attended Washington for the last nine years and we love it!. We have had excellent, committed teachers, a wide selection of electives and a very positive experience. The atmosphere is warm and supportive. Some previous reviewers are upset by the accountability that is expected in higher grades. However, children need to be prepared for middle school, where they will most definitely be held accountable for things like having their homework, being prepared for class, etc. If they don't begin to learn accountability in fifth grade, they will have a rude awakening in sixth, and the consequences will be much more upsetting than a card flip. Parents should work with their children to help them understand that the teachers are trying to get them ready for middle school and that consequences are not personal. My youngest child is in fifth grade now. And while we have always loved Washington as we progressed through the grades, we came to appreciate it even more when our older children moved on to middle school and we saw how well prepared they were, academically and behaviorally. They made smooth transitions and we knew we had Washington to thank for that.
—Submitted by a parent

This year Washington has not met the federal standards. The teacher that my child had last year was not communicating with parent in timely manner .I hardly ever got to see any Unit test results even after several requests ,he/she used to reply to email after 3-4 days.. The teacher this year is strict and follows all the punishment strategies that another parent mentioned . but I am not very sure of the impact yet . I know kids need to learn responsibility and maybe thats what the teachers is trying to do My child has gone thru similar punishments .
—Submitted by a parent

I daughter have been at Washington Elementary for 2 years and it is the most wonderful school! The elective program has so many choices for the children, is wonderful! They have everything from music and drama to Academically Gifted classes in math, science, language arts, etc. The teachers are excellent! I recommend this school for everyone who is looking for a wonderful school. There is a place for each and every student and every parent, who wants to volunteer at school. This is the MOST WONDERFUL school in Wake County! Great place to be!
—Submitted by a parent

Washington has so many opportunities for students to be engaged in learning in fun, creative ways for students!
—Submitted by a parent

I have been at Washington Elementary for 5 years and it is the most fabulous school! The elective program has so many choices and each one is wonderful! They have everything from music and drama to Academically Gifted classes in math, science, language arts, etc. The teachers are excellent with many male teachers that are incredible role models. I recommend this school for everyone. There is a place for each and every student. This is the best school in Wake County.
—Submitted by a parent

My family has been at Washington Magnet Elementary for five years. It has exceeded my expectations in every area. There is a family atmosphere and parents are welcomed to volunteer and be involved. The elective program allows children to explore many areas of interest. Furthermore, students who need enrichment or remediation can have those needs met during the elective periods of the day. Teachers, staff and faculty work well together to provide a safe and caring environment for EVERY student. I would highly recommend this school to anyone looking for a public school in the Wake County System.
—Submitted by a parent